Bakewell Slices

So, I had never tired making bakewell slices before this, however I was rather surprised that they turned out the way they did!  Delicious. I used Nigella Lawson’s new KITCHEN cook book to create them.

Bakewell slices are a traditional British baked dessert which consists of a short crust pastry, spread with jam and covered with a sponge-like filling enriched with ground almonds.

Ingredients for the base:                            

225g plain flour

60g icing sugar

Pinch salt     

225g soft unsalted butter

Preheat the over to 180°C and line a 30 x 20 x 5cm baking tin with foil and grease it.

To make the pastry base mix the flour, icing sugar, salt and butter in a food processor until it turns to a cohesive dough. Press the dough into the bottom of the tin until you get an even surface.

Bake the base in the oven for about 20 minutes, then leave to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes.

Ingredients for the filling:

150g soft unsalted butter

4 eggs

150g caster sugar

150g ground almonds

250g seedless raspberry jam

250g fresh raspberries

50g flaked almonds

While the base is cooling you can start to make the filling. Melt the butter in a small pan, then take off the heat to cool.

Put the eggs, caster sugar and ground almonds into the food processor and blitz to a paste. With the motor running pour the slightly cooled melted butter down the funnel and stop when all is combined.

In a separate bowl whisk the jam to make it easier to spread and then evenly apply to the base. Tumble the raspberries over the raspberry layer. Pour the almond filling over the raspberry layer and sprinkle the almond flakes on top. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes until it has become a tinted golden colour.

Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes and drizzle with icing sugar mixed with a little water, then carefully slice.